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Summary

Creator:

Goode, G. Brown (George Brown) 1851-1896

Title:

George Brown Goode Collection, circa 1814-1897 and undated, with related materials to 1925

George Brown Goode (1851-1896), ichthyologist and museum administrator, received his B.S. degree from Wesleyan University in 1870. After a year of postgraduate study with Louis Agassiz at Harvard University, Goode returned to Wesleyan to direct the Judd Museum of Natural History. In 1872, Goode met Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and United States Fish Commissioner. He quickly became Baird's chief pupil and assistant. In 1873, Goode was appointed Assistant Curator in the United States National Museum (USNM), a position he retained until 1877 when his title was changed to Curator. In 1881, when the new USNM building was completed, Goode was promoted to Assistant Director. On January 12, 1887, Goode was appointed Assistant Secretary in charge of the USNM, and he remained the chief administrative officer of the museum until his death

Goode's primary scientific interest was ichthyology, and he published both specialized and popular works on fish and fisheries. In addition to his duties at the USNM, Goode also served in various capacities for the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. After Baird's death in 1887, Goode assumed the position of Fish Commissioner until January 1888

Goode was regarded as the premier American museum administrator of his era. In 1881, he issued Circular No. 1 of the National Museum which set forth a comprehensive scheme of organization for the museum. Goode was involved in designing and installing Smithsonian and Fish Commission exhibits at many of the international expositions held during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Goode was also a historian, bibliographer, and genealogist, and he published several papers on the history of American science

Summary:

This collection provides partial documentation of Goode's professional career and personal life. The collection is strongest in documenting his research on fish and fisheries. Included is a large collection of autograph letters and signatures of scientists, government officials, diplomats, artists, literary figures, and socialites; incoming and outgoing correspondence documenting professional activities and research interests; correspondence, notes, manuscripts, and related records documenting his work on fish and fisheries; collected materials from the London International Fisheries Exposition of 1883; manuscripts and research materials from an unpublished ichthyological bibliography; an unpublished manuscript on the history of American science; scrapbooks and notebooks maintained during his childhood, college days, and early career; biographical materials on Goode; and various manuscripts, notes, photographs and drawings

Topics:

Ichthyology, Museums--Administration

Subjects:

Goode, G. Brown (George Brown) 1851-1896, Agassiz, Louis 1807-1873, Baird, Spencer Fullerton 1823-1887, Judd Museum of Natural History, United States Fish Commission, Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.), United States National Museum Assistant Director, Smithsonian Institution Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum, London International Fisheries Exposition (1883)

Historical Note

George Brown Goode (1851-1896), ichthyologist and museum administrator, was born in New Albany, Indiana. His childhood was spent in Anenia, New York, where he developed
a strong interest in natural history. He entered Wesleyan University at Middletown, Connecticut, in 1866, and was graduated in 1870. In 1870, Goode was admitted to Harvard
University for a year of post-graduate study under Louis Agassiz. The following year he received an invitation from Wesleyan to undertake the arrangement and direction of
the newly established Judd Museum of Natural History. He retained his official connection with Wesleyan until 1877.

In 1872, Goode met Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and United States Fish Commissioner. Baird invited him to work as a volunteer collector
for the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries (USCFF). Goode accepted and became Baird's chief pupil and assistant. For the next several years, Goode spent his summers
collecting fishes off the Atlantic coasts of Long Island, Florida, and Bermuda. In 1873, he was appointed Assistant Curator in the United States National Museum (USNM), a
position he retained until 1877 when his title was changed to Curator. In 1881, when the new USNM building was completed, Goode was promoted to Assistant Director. On January
12, 1887, Goode was appointed Assistant Secretary in charge of the USNM and he remained the chief administrative officer of the Museum until his death in 1896.

Goode's primary scientific interest was ichthyology, and he published both scientific and popular works on fish and fisheries. After receiving an appointment at the USNM,
Goode continued to work for the USCFF in various capacities. He acted as statistical expert for the Halifax Fishery Arbitration Commission, 1877-1878; chief of the Fisheries
Division of the Tenth Census, 1879-1880; and United States Commissioner at the Fisheries Exhibitions in Berlin,1880, and in London, 1883. After the death of Spencer F. Baird
in 1887, Goode assumed the position of Fish Commissioner until January, 1888.

Goode has been described as the father of the modern American museum. Through his administration of the USNM and writings on the subject, Goode served as a strong advocate
of the role of museums in the education of the general public. Shortly after he was appointed Assistant Director in 1881, Goode issued Circular No. 1 of the National Museum,
which set forth a comprehensive scheme of organization for the museum. He oversaw a period of tremendous growth at the USNM. Under his direction museum staff grew from thirteen
to over 200 and specimens increased from two hundred thousand to over three million. Goode published several articles geared toward the museum professional including "Museum
History and Museums of History," 1888; "Museums of the Future," 1890; and "Principles of Museum Administration," 1895.

A logical extension of Goode's talents was his service at many of the international expositions held during the latter part of the nineteenth century. In fact, Goode's
work designing the Smithsonian exhibits at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 helped to plant the ideas that would blossom in his organization of the USNM in the early 1880s.
Goode is generally credited with applying museum theories to expositions and helping to " . . . . widen their scope from the merely commercial and industrial to the educational
and scientific."

Goode was also a historian, bibliographer, and genealogist. He studied the history of American science and produced several papers on the subject. These included "The Beginnings
of Natural History in America," 1886; "The Beginnings of American Science: The Third Century," 1888; and "The Origin of the National Scientific and Educational Institutions
of the United States," 1890. He also planned, edited, and wrote several chapters of the posthumously published "The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896: The History of Its
First Half Century, 1897." He compiled bibliographies of several prominent naturalists, and his "Virginia Cousins," 1887, was considered a model genealogy.

In addition to the standard biographical memoirs, an excellent discussion of Goode and his work is found in Edward P. Alexander's "Museum Masters," 1984.

Introduction

The bulk of the George Brown Goode Collection (Record Unit 7050) predates the establishment of the present-day Smithsonian Archives. A small addition of autograph letters
was received from the Division of Political History, National Museum of American History in 1983 under accession number 83-081.

Descriptive Entry

The George Brown Goode Collection provides partial documentation of his professional career and personal life. The collection is strongest in documenting his research
on fishes and fisheries. His administrative career at the United States National Museum, his theories on museums, and his historical research are documented to a lesser extent.

Goode's correspondence is found in three separate series. He assembled a large collection of autograph letters and signatures of scientists, government officials, diplomats,
artists, literary figures, and socialites. The autograph collection represents a good part of Goode's official and professional correspondence since most of the letters were
removed from his files. He also acquired letters and signatures of many historical figures. Series 2 consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence relating to Goode's professional
career. Included are letters documenting his activities in professional societies; his career at Wesleyan University; and his research on the history of science.

Incoming correspondence with several of the leading ichthyologists of the 19th century is a part of a large group of collected materials on fish and fisheries. Also included
are voluminous notes, lists, manuscripts, statistics, news clippings, maps, and drawings relating to Goode's ichthyological research. Other records documenting Goode's work
on fish and fisheries include publications, news clippings, memorabilia, and related materials collected during his service at the Great International Fisheries Exhibition
in London in 1883; and manuscripts, drafts, and research data from his unpublished ichthyological bibliography.

The remainder of the collection consists of assembled materials relating to Goode's professional career and his personal life. Included are scrapbooks and notebooks maintained
during his childhood, college days, and early career; biographical materials on Goode including obituaries, memorials, and news clippings; collected manuscripts, notes, photographs,
and drawings relating to most aspects of his professional work; and an unpublished manuscript on the history of American science.

Goode's career at the USNM is thoroughly documented in several record units in the Smithsonian Archives. Researchers interested in his work as Assistant Director and Assistant
Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum should consult record units 54, 112, and 189. Record unit 54 also contains records concerning his work for the United
States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. Goode's role in international expositions can be examined in record unit 70.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Container List

Series 1

AUTOGRAPH LETTERS, 1814-1895, AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists primarily of autograph letters and signatures collected and assembled by George Brown Goode. Also included are smaller amounts of manuscripts,
poems, photographs, drawings, and engravings. Goode collected autograph letters of American and foreign scientists, naturalists, and anthropologists; government officials
and diplomats; artists and literary figures; military and naval officers; and leading figures in Washington, D.C. scientific and social circles. The autograph collection represents
a significant portion of Goode's official and professional correspondence since most of the letters were pulled from his files. Also included are a small amount of letters
addressed to Joseph Henry, Spencer F. Baird, William Greene Binney, William Phipps Blake, Fielding Bradford Meek, Francis Markoe, Peter Force, and others. Goode also purchased
or otherwise acquired letters and signatures of many historical figures.

Box 1

Folder 1 Abbe, Cleveland, undated

Box 1 of 31

Folder 2 Abbot, Henry Larcom, 1890

Box 1 of 31

Folder 3 Abbott, Charles Conrad

Box 1 of 31

Folder 4 Adams, Herbert, 1894

Box 1 of 31

Folder 5 Adams, Herbert Baxter, 1889

Box 1 of 31

Folder 6 Adler, Cyrus, 1894

Box 1 of 31

Folder 7 Agassiz, Alexander, 1885, 1888, 1894-1895

Box 1 of 31

Folder 8 Agassiz, Jean Louis, 1868. To Joseph Henry.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 9 Allen, Harrison, 1886, 1892

Box 1 of 31

Folder 10 Allen, Joel Asaph, 1880, 1891

Box 1 of 31

Folder 11 Ames, E. R., 1841. Receipt written to F. C. Goode.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 12 Ammen, Daniel, 1889, 1892

Box 1 of 31

Folder 13 Andrews, Maude A., undated. Handwritten poem, "The Jester."

Box 1 of 31

Folder 14 Anthony, Susan B., undated. Signature.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 15 Bache, Alexander Dallas, 1867, and undated. Includes a letter from Edward C.Boynton to an unidentified correspondent (23 Nov 1867) concerning Bache's education at theUnited States Military Academy.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 16 Bache, Hartman, 1870. To Joseph Henry.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 17 Baird, Spencer F., circa 1843, 1877, 1883, and undated. Includes handwritten manuscripts "Description of two (supposed) new species of the genus Tyrannuli found inCumberland Co. PA by William & S. F. Baird," circa 1843; and "On the Domestication of theBighorn or Rocky Mountain Sheep," undated.

Box 1 of 31

Folder 18 Baker, Frank, 1893-1894, and undated. Includes a handwritten manuscript "Darwin on the Expression of the Emotions," undated.

Box 6

Folder 1 Rafinesque, Constantine Samuel, 1826, and undated. Includes an itinerary written by Rafinesque on a trip to Pennsylvania, 1826 and a letter from J. Mease to C. A. Poulson concerning the disposition of Rafinesque's medals and papers.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 2 Randolph, John, undated. Includes a letter to Daniel Webster and an engraving.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 3 Rathbun, Richard, 1883, 1893

Box 6 of 31

Folder 4 Rau, Charles, undated. To Spencer F. Baird.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 5 Reed, Thomas B., 1888, 1893

Box 6 of 31

Folder 6 Reeve, Felix A., 1890

Box 6 of 31

Folder 7 Reeves, Arthur M., 1890

Box 6 of 31

Folder 8 Reeves, Sims, 1868

Box 6 of 31

Folder 9 Reichert, Edward T., 1886

Box 6 of 31

Folder 10 Reid, Mayne, undated. Engraving.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 11 Reinhardt, J., undated. Signature.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 12 Richards, Joseph Havens Cowles, 1889

Box 6 of 31

Folder 13 Ridgway, Robert, 1888

Box 6 of 31

Folder 14 Ringgold, Cadwallader, 1854. To William Stimpson.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 15 Rivett-Carnac, H., 1883-1884

Box 6 of 31

Folder 16 Robertson, George, 1870

Box 6 of 31

Folder 17 Robinson, Wirt, 1894

Box 6 of 31

Folder 18 Rockhill, William Woodville, 1894

Box 6 of 31

Folder 19 Rodenbough, T. F., 1890

Box 6 of 31

Folder 20 Rodgers, John, 1855. To William Stimpson.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 21 Rogers, William Barton, 1881. Includes an engraving.

Box 6 of 31

Folder 22 Round, G. C., 1895

Box 6 of 31

Folder 23 Rowland, K. M., 1891, and undated

Box 6 of 31

Folder 24 Runyon, Theodore, 1887

Box 6 of 31

Folder 25 Ryder, John A., 1889

Box 6 of 31

Folder 26 Sabin, Edward, 1845

Box 6 of 31

Folder 27 Salisbury, Edward E., 1891

Box 6 of 31

Folder 28 Sargent, Charles Sprague, 1888

Box 6 of 31

Folder 29 Satchell, Thomas, 1880

Box 6 of 31

Folder 30 Schiaperelli, R. C., 1891

Box 6 of 31

Folder 31 Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1822. To Col. Bomford concerning his appointment as Indian agent for the tribes of Lake Superior.

Series 2

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1871-1896, AND UNDATED, with related materials to 1904. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY.

This series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence documenting the professional career, and to a lesser extent, the personal affairs of George Brown Goode.
The incoming letters mostly concern professional issues including Goode's participation in societies and associations; his activities as a staff member and alumnus of Wesleyan
University; his early collecting work for the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries; and his research interests, especially the history of science. His research on
fishes and museums, as well as his administrative duties at the United States National Museum are less well documented. Included are letters addressed to Spencer F. Baird
and Samuel P. Langley. One bound volume contains copies of letters written by Goode concerning professional matters, community issues, and personal business.

Folder 8 Outgoing correspondence ("Private Letters"), November 1883 - November 1895. Copies of letters written by Goode concerning professional matters, community issues, and personal business.

Box 8 of 31

Series 3

COLLECTED MATERIALS ON FISH AND FISHERIES, 1875-1893, AND UNDATED.

This series contains collected materials documenting George Brown Goode's research on fish and fisheries. Of special importance is incoming correspondence from several
of the leading ichthyologists of the era. Also included are voluminous notes, manuscripts, lists, statistics, news clippings, drawings, and maps. This material appears to
be Goode's principle research file created during the preparation of his many scientific monographs and popular publications on fish and fisheries. A smaller amount of material
was created during his official work with the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries.

Box 14

Series 4

COLLECTED MATERIALS ON THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES EXHIBITION, LONDON, (1883), 1882-1883.

The Great International Fisheries Exhibition was held in London and ran from May 12 to October 30, 1883. George Brown Goode served as United States Commissioner
to the Exhibition. This series primarily consists of published materials collected by Goode during his service in London. Also included are copies of correspondence concerning
the Exhibition.

Series 5

In the late 1870s, George Brown Goode began to compile information for a complete bibliography of ichthyology, including the names of all genera and species published
as new. He continued to work on the project until his death in 1896. The work was never published. This series consists of Goode's manuscript and research data from his contemplated
bibliography. The material is arranged alphabetically by author or publication.

Box 16

Folders 1-4 Ichthyological Bibliography, A-B

Box 16 of 31

Box 17

Folders 1-4 Ichthyological Bibliography, C-D

Box 17 of 31

Box 18

Folders 1-5 Ichthyological Bibliography, E-G

Box 18 of 31

Box 19

Folders 1-5 Ichthyological Bibliography, H-J

Box 19 of 31

Box 20

Folders 1-5 Ichthyological Bibliography, K-M

Box 20 of 31

Box 21

Folders 1-6 Ichthyological Bibliography, M-Q

Box 21 of 31

Box 22

Folders 1-5 Ichthyological Bibliography, R-S

Box 22 of 31

Box 23

Folders 1-7 Ichthyological Bibliography, S-Z

Box 23 of 31

Series 6

UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN SCIENCE, CIRCA 1896, WITH RELATED MATERIALS TO 1925.

This series consists of unpublished drafts of a manuscript on the history of American science. The manuscript appears to be an extension of Goode's research that
was published in his papers "The Beginnings of Natural History in America," 1886; "The Beginnings of American Science: The Third Century," 1888; and "The Origin of the National
Scientific and Educational Institutions of the United States," 1890. Also included is correspondence between Richard Rathbun and Cyrus Adler concerning the possible publication
of the manuscript in1906.

Box 24

Folders 1-4 Unpublished manuscript on the history of American science, circa 1896

Series 7

NOTEBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK, CIRCA 1863-1878, AND UNDATED.

The scrapbook consists mostly of memorabilia collected by Goode during his student days and professional career at Wesleyan University, circa 1865-1878. Also included
is material collected during his graduate work at Harvard University, 1870-1871. Included are commencement programs; announcements; notices of lectures, meetings, and other
events; correspondence; and theater and concert programs. The notebooks contain autographs of family members and friends, and entries on the history of American science.

Box 25

Folder 1 Notebook, 1863-1865, and undated. Contains autographs and salutations of family and friends in Indiana and New York.

Box 25 of 31

Folder 2 Notebook, undated. Contains entries on the history of American science.

Box 25 of 31

Folder 3 Scrapbook, circa 1865-1878

Box 25 of 31

Series 8

BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1885-1903, AND UNDATED.

This series consists mostly of biographical materials on Goode compiled after his death in 1896. Included are biographical sketches, memorials, obituaries, newsclippings,
and similar materials. Also included is one photograph of Goode, and a few of his publications.

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